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Changeling
For the Earth legend regarding a Changeling child see: Changeling (folklore); for the TOS episode see: The Changeling. The Changelings are liquid-based, shapeshifting lifeforms native to the Gamma Quadrant of the Milky Way Galaxy. Their homeworld was, apparently, a rogue planet within the Omarion Nebula (which has since been rendered uninhabitable by the Obsidian Order and the Tal'Shiar in the Battle of the Omarion Nebula). (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "The Die is Cast") A Changeling's natural state is its liquid form, which it must revert to every 16 hours (Odo's example) in order to regenerate. Changelings can, however, take virtually any form (typically limited by their mass), ranging from humanoid aliens to fog to reflective surfaces. Changelings can also survive in the vacuum of space. (DS9: "The Adversary", "The Way of the Warrior", "Chimera") The Founders of the Dominion are Changelings, and make up the majority of the Dominion's leadership. Changelings prefer to think of themselves as a drop (the individual) in the larger ocean (what they call the Great Link). A Changeling, therefore, typically has no sense of individual identity. Being a liquid-based lifeform, in order to link with other Changelings they simply revert to this state and the liquid blends together, creating a link between them. (DS9: "The Search, Part II") At one time the Founders were peaceful and explored the Galaxy. But they were persecuted by some of the solids, and they came to believe that the only way to protect themselves was to conquer those around them. Solids (mono-form humanoids) called the Founders "Changelings" as an insult, but the Founders took the name for themselves as an act of defiance. (DS9: "The Search, Part II") Long ago, the Founders sent out 100 infant Changelings in order to gather information and explore, to return later and share what they have learned. The Founders did not expect any to return until the late-27th century. Odo and Laas were among the 100. (DS9: "The Search, Part II", "Chimera") :"Chimera" suggests changelings have a life-span of at least two hundred years, though if Odo was indeed two hundred years old when he traveled back with the [[USS Defiant (NX-74205)|USS ''Defiant]] in an alternate timeline in "Children of Time", that would indicate changelings could live for at least four hundred years. It has also been suggested that changelings might be immortal with the female changeling remarking "you are a changeling, you are timeless".'' :Though Odo and Laas have been described as male and the Female Changeling as female, it's unclear what anatomical differences, if any, exist between male and female changelings. Also, although we saw an infant changeling in "The Begotten", it was never made clear exactly how changelings reproduce. The most popular theory is that they reproduce asexually. ''The Changelings frequently assume a form similar to that of Odo, the changeling on DS9; however, Odo's unique appearance is the product of his difficulty with assuming convincing humanoid forms. Since other changelings have no such difficulty, they must therefore assume an "Odoid" form out of choice, most likely to provide Odo and other Alpha Quadrant races with a form that is both recognisably theirs and yet capable of face-to-face communication. '' See a list of changelings here: Changelings Category:Nicknames Category:Species de:Wechselbalg nl:Vormverwisselaar